A/N: I make a reference to an Idina Menzel song in this chapter ('Gorgeous'), so a little suspension of disbelief is required. Enjoy!
Rachel Berry prided herself on being an upstanding person. Do the right things and you'll be rewarded. For a good part of her life, the right things were so easy to recognize. Don't cheat on tests, be on time to her singing and dancing lessons, never miss a morning on the elliptical. At some point though the 'right things' became hazy and harder to grasp. Chasing after Finn when he was still with Quinn - telling him about her lies. Were those the right things? Everything seemed to work out all right so she told herself that they were.
But one afternoon in the McKinley parking lot tested her yet again. When she had walked in on Quinn and Mr. Schuester, together, in the choir room saying she was shocked would be a massive understatement. She was shocked the week before when Mr. Schuester finally allowed her to perform a selection from Rent. This was...something else entirely. And when Quinn found her at her car, her world already tilting off it's axis starting spinning wildly.
It was somehow easier to believe that the dalliance between the two of them was a one time thing, fueled by Quinn's hormones and Mr. Schuester's loneliness (Rachel had seen Ms. Pillsbury's new boyfriend pick her up from school just the week before). But Quinn's desperate explanation had opened her eyes.
"I know I said that if you told anyone he'd lose everything, but I would too. Because I'm pretty sure I'm in love with my teacher, and its all hanging by a thread..."
She wanted to tell Quinn to snap out of it what she was doing (what they were doing) was absolutely dangerous. She wanted to appeal to Mr. Schuester, who was supposed to be the authority figure, to put a stop to it. Like he had with her. She still squirmed with embarrassment at the thought. But when she looked into Quinn's eyes, she didn't see an infatuated girl who gave novelty gifts and made 'surprise' dinners. What she saw was real. She decided to keep their secret. At first she had thought she hadn't done the right thing. That when their relationship inevitably fell apart, she would bear some of the guilt. It took one afternoon in the choir room junior year to change her mind.
2011
February 14th had never been a particularly romantic day at McKinley High School. In honor of the holiday, the slushies were mostly red, making the hallways look like gruesome crime scenes rather than fluffy love nests. Most of the girls that got presents spent the day complaining to their boyfriends about getting the wrong kind of flowers, while rubbing their gifts in their single friends faces. And perhaps most disturbing of all, Mr. Halverson the creepy science teacher decided it would be the perfect day for his Anatomy students to dissect cow hearts. "It's Valentines after all!" Rachel was fairly certain Mr. Halverson wasn't married.
By the time that afternoon's glee rehearsal rolled around, most of the club were in poor spirits. Tina sat as far away as possible from both Mike and Artie she wasn't sure which of the boys she was currently dating, but she seemed angry at both of them. Puck sat in the back row, but whether he was angry or just...Puck, Rachel couldn't tell. Kurt was his usual unflappable self, but anyone could see his mask was starting to crack. Next to him, Quinn looked like she was in another world, holding a necklace in her hands, and absentmindedly rubbing it's charm between her thumb and forefinger. Mercedes sat, sullen, next to Brittany and Santana who looked like the only happy people in the room.
With the exception of Finn and herself of course, who were having a perfectly fine Valentines, despite the fact that they both got slushied while sharing a kiss before fourth period.
"Alright guys, sorry I'm late," said Mr. Schuester as he entered the room. By the way that he slouched in and slumped down into a chair, it seemed that even he had been affected by the dark cloud that had rained on the rest of her fellow club members. "I know this is a big day for you guys, and if you wanted to cut out early -"
"Mr. Schue?" interrupted Santana with a raised hand. "I wouldn't volunteer for something like this usually, but I heard this song the other day, and I want to sing it to...the class."
Mr. Schuester looked as surprised as everyone else that Santana, who usually made an enormous effort to appear like she didn't care about the club, had offered to get up and sing in front of the group.
"Uh...go for it, Santana," he said as he moved off to the side, and Santana passed Brad and the jazz band some sheet music.
Rachel recognized the song from the first notes, but the rest of the club sat in half-interested confusion.
"In a perfect world, in another time...In a far off place we wouldn't need to justify..."
Rachel was the only person that seemed to notice Quinn's soft gasp as she heard the opening line of the song. Of course she was the only one who knew the affect it would have on her. Besides Mr. Schuester of course, who met Quinn's gaze with a look so intense, Rachel could practically feel the emotion coming off his body in waves. A song about a relationship that is frowned upon and not understood. And despite that, it becomes something beautiful.
"Everything we are, and all that we believe...We could finally be whoever we both want to be..."
Quinn's eyes had started to mist with tears, catching the attention of Kurt. He looked at her worriedly, but she was still focused on their glee coach, now with the smallest of smiles on her face. Santana and Brittany seemed to be in their own world, and so did Quinn and Mr. Schuester.
"The city wants to fight but it can't touch us anymore..."
Her knuckles were white as she gripped the charm in her hand, and a single tear was making its way down her cheek. When Mr. Schuester saw, he half rose from his seat, before he realized where he was and sat back town. His hands too, were balled into tight fists. They both seemed to be forcing themselves to stay seated.
"As long as we crash and we collide, we will be gorgeous, gorgeous..."
There were full blown smiles on Quinn and Mr. Schuester's faces now, but so was the case with the rest of the club. Santana and Brittany only had eyes for each other, and the rest were grinning at the two cheerios. After Santana had finished, and the last grace notes had faded, the applause was almost matched by the sounds of sniffles coming from the risers.
When the club had been dismissed for the day, it didn't take a genius (although Rachel prided herself on her outstanding observational skills) to see that Quinn was purposefully hanging back. Rachel waited outside the door long enough to hear a muffled thump and muttered "I love you" before she continued on her way.
Present Day
"I always liked that necklace you have on when did you get it?"
Quinn lifted the flower charm so the stones inside could catch the light.
"A few years ago," she said, smiling for what felt like the first time that day. "It was a Valentines present."
"Pretty," said Melissa, just before Quinn's phone vibrated from across the room. "Well, looks like your ride's here - better late than never."
"Always late," said Quinn fondly, before throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder.
"Well, try and have a nice trip, and if there are any big blowups I want a text!" laughed Melissa, and Quinn rolled her eyes.
"You'll be the first to know, I promise," she said, before walking out of the door.